The present invention generally relates to a paper feeding arrangement and more particularly, to an automatic paper feeding arrangement for use, for example, in a copying machine, facsimile equipment, printer or the like having a plurality of stages of paper feeding sections.
Commonly, for example, in a copying machine having a plurality of stages of copy paper feeding sections, there is provided means for enabling an operator to select and designate any desired one of the copy paper feeding sections, while some of the copying machines are additionally provided with a function for automatically and preferentially designating a particular one of the copy paper feeding sections for an initial setting, upon the turning ON of the power supply.
In the copying machines of the above described type, when copy paper is not present at any of the copy paper feeding sections and therefore, copy paper is to be newly loaded for copying, if the copy paper is loaded onto the copy paper feeding section preliminarily selected or preferentially designated, the copying may be immediately started. However, in some cases, it becomes necessary to load other undesignated copy paper feeding sections with copy paper for copying, and in such a case, operations for selecting and designating the other copy paper feeding sections are required, thus imposing troublesome procedures to the operator.
The copy paper to be loaded in the copy paper feeding sections may be in the form of either a rolled paper or copy paper sheets, but the disadvantages as described above will be explained more specifically hereinbelow with reference to the copy paper sheets.
The copy paper sheets are normally accommodated in copy paper feeding cassettes respectively for predetermined sizes such as B4, A4, etc., and these copy paper feeding cassettes are loaded onto the copy paper feeding sections provided in a housing of the copying machine for carrying out copying. In the above case, it is a general practice to load the copy paper feeding section at the uppermost stage, with copy paper sheets of a size most frequently used. In other words, the necessity for copy paper replenishment increases with the increase of using frequency, and thus, the uppermost stage where the copy paper replenishment is most readily effected, is utilized. For the similar reason, the uppermost stage is also selected for the preferential designation, while copy paper sheets with less using frequency are loaded onto the other copy paper feeding sections.
In the above arrangement, the handling may be most facilitated, if the cassette at the uppermost stage is replenished with the copy paper when the copy paper sheets in all of the copy paper feeding sections have been used up. However, in the case where the copy paper feeding sections at the lower stages are selected for designation, the operator is obliged either to re-select the uppermost stage for designation of the copy paper feeding after loading the uppermost stage or to replenish the copy paper feeding section at the lower stage preliminarily selected for designation, with the copy paper sheets through troublesome procedures for the replenishment.